Machine for concaving boot and shoe heel blanks



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

W. Y. OBER. MACHINE FOR CONCAVING BOOT AND SHOE HEEL BLANKS. N0. 298,113. Patented May 6, 1884.

WILLIAM Y. OBER, OF LYNN, MASSACHUSETTS.

MACHINE FOR CO NCAVING BOOT AND SHOE HEEL BLANKSf SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 298,113, dated May 6; 1884:.

Application filed May 19, 1883.

. tion with the accompanying drawings, be hereinafter fully described, and specifically defined in the appended claims.

The object of this invention is to form a cavity in the heel-blank of a boot or shoe in which the heel portion of the sole may be properly seated, secured, and finished without employing the usual beveled strip or rand around the edge.

of the heel, to fill the space between the plane of the heel and the curved or convexed surface of the sole, which space results from the curvature of the sole away from the plane of the heel when the sole and heel are brought together without first concaving the latter; and the invention consists in the construction and combination of the divers devices embodied therein, as hereinafter more particularly and fully set forth and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a side elevation of a machine embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the cutter-head as viewed from the left of Fig. 1, in which a side view thereof is shown. Fig. 3 is a horizontal section taken on line A, Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a vertical section taken on line B, Fig. 1, viewed from the left. Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the slide shown in section in Fig. 4., and of the devices for holding the heel-blanks when mounted thereon. Fig. 6 is a plan of the slide and holding devices shown in Fig. 5, and as having a heel-blank properly seated in the jaws thereof. Fig. 7 is a transverse vertical section of the heel-blank, taken on line 0, Fig. 6. Fig. 8 is a longitudinal vertical section of the heel-blank, taken on line D, Fig. 6. Fig. 9 is a front elevation of one of the cutters which are carried in the revolving head shown in Figs. 1 and 2. Fig. 10 is a perspective view of one of the cutters, showing its body provided with bolt-holes for securing the same to the head and its tapering blade. Fig. 11 is a view of the cutter-blade proper, shown as viewed from above in Figs. 9, 13. Fig. 12 is a transverse section of the cutter-blade, taken as on line E; Fig. 10, or

practical use.

(No model.)

line F, Fig. 13. Fig. 13 is an edge elevation or side view of the cutter viewed from the left of Figs. 9 and 10. v

In said views, a represents the stand or body of the machine, having. a circular base, 1), constructed and'arranged to be bolted to the floor or work-bench.

In the top of the stand a is journaled an arbor, c. in suitable boxes or bearings. This arbor is rotated by means of a pulley, d, mounted thereon and driven by a belt from a counter-shaft in the usual manner. Upon the arbor is also mounted and properly secured a revolving head, 6, which carries a series of cutters, f f f f, the shanks or bodies of which are secured by a series of bolts, 9 g g g, to head e, as shown, Fig. 1.

The construction and operation of the knives will be hereinafter more particularly described.

One side of the stand a is formed at h, Figs. 1, 2, as a dovetail way, upon which an arm or bracket, t, is fitted to slide and be adjusted vertically, and is secured in position by setscrews 3' j, Figs. 1, 3. This arm *0 has a rightvolving cutter-head when the machine is in The extent of forward movement of lever m is limited and graduated to conform to the length of heel being cut by an adjustable stop, a, arranged on the side of the stand, Fig. 1, so that the lever m will come in contact with the same at its extreme forward movement and bestopped thereby. The actuating-lever m might, for convenience, be pivoted to a suitable projection formed upon the opposide side of stand a from that on which it is shown, and be curved to bring the handle around said stand to the side shown, and then linked to slide Z, so as to be moved horizontally about a vertical axis when manipulated by the operator.

Upon carriage Z, Fig. .3, are adjustably secured a pair of jaws or plates, 0 3), between which is seated the heel-blank when in position to be operated upon. The inner edges of these jaws or plates are-outlined or curved to conform practically to the outline or curvature of that portion of the heel-blank which they are designed to act against and hold in place. Jaw o is provided with elongated holes, through which setscrews having overlapping heads are threaded into the slide I, as shown, and serve to clamp the jaw to the slide when it is properly adjusted thereon. This jaw o is adjustable laterally upon said slide to the different sizes of heel-blanks, so as to bring the longitudinal center line, D, of the blank, Fig. 6, when its edge is against jaw 0,whatever its size may be, into coincidence with a corresponding center line drawn through slide Z between said jaws. Jaw p is secured to slide 1 in the same manner as jaw 0, except that it is never clamped rigidly down upon said slide by means of the screws passing through it, but is firmly attached to or formed as apartof and moved by a pivoted lever, q, which is actuated in one direction by apivoted cam-lever, r, and, together with jaw p, securely locked against the heel-blank t when the latter is seated upon the slide between the jaws, as shown in Fig. ii. A. spring, 8, secured to the slide, moves lever I when the latter is re leased by canrlever 'r to relax the hold ofjaw 1) upon the edge of the heel-blank.

The positions of the jaws and the actuating levers and spring just described, when not employed to secure a heel-blank in place for operation thereon; are as shown in Fig 5, and their several positions when so employed are as shown in Fig. 6, in which a heel-blank, 1, composed of several lifts or layers, as usual, is shown properly seated between the jaws and secured thereby, the operation of concaving the upper lift of the same having been completed, as indicated by the transverse and horizontal vertical sections respect ively shown in Figs. 7 and S.

The cutters f employed in the revolving head 0, Fig. 1, are constructed as illustrated in Figs 9, l0, 1]., 12, 13, and are each composed of a body or shank, f, provided with bolt-holes, as shown, through which the cutter is bolted to the head 6, Fig. 1, and of a blade, f, extending at nearly right angles from the body The blades taper in their width from the shank outward, as shown in Fig. 10, and are beveled transversely to form a cuttingedge, and convexed or curved on their outer or peripheral face in the direction of their length, such convexity or curvature corre sponding to the curve 1) of the longitudinal section-line representing the variable depth of the concave cut made by the blade in theheel, as shown in Fig. 8, the bevel of the concavity in the heel corresponding longitudinally to the convexity of the cutting-blade, and transversely to the arc of the circle in which the blades are revolved by the rotary head, as shown in Fig. 7.

The practical operation of my machine is as follows: A heel-blank composed, as usual, of several layers of suitably-formed pieces of leather is seated upon slidel between jaws o and p, and secured by the locking devices, as shown in Fig. 6. The slide being mounted upon its supporting arm or bracket 70, Fig. 1, so as to move on the dovetail way formed on said arm, Fig. i, and being connected by link a to lever ill, is in working position. It is next adjusted vertically by sliding its arm k on its dovetail way h into proper position, and securing the same in such position by the setscrewsj, so that the upper surface of the heelblank seated upon slide 1 will be in line with the point of blade f, the straight edge or breast of the heel being toward the blade. The operator now sets the revolving cutterliead in motion, and taking hold of lever in thereby moves the slide Z toward the cutters, the outer ends of which first come in contact with the heel, cutting slightly, and as the forward movement of the slide and heel is con tinued the convexity of the cutter increases the depth of the cut, the stopubeingadjusted to arrest the movement of the lever m at the proper time, according to the length of heel being operated upon, and so as to leave a border of full thickness around such concavity in the lift corresponding to the rand usually interposed as a separate piece in the place of such border between the heel and sole of the shoe. The concavity thus cut corresponds transversely to the arc of the circle in which the cutters move, and in its curvature or bevel longitudinally to the convexity of the cutterblades in the direction of their lengths. Thus a suitable seat is formed in the upper lift of the heel to receive the rounded heel portion of the sole of the boot or shoe as it is usually formed and held upon the last, and enabling the heel to be properly attached thereto without the interposition of the usual separate beveled strip or rand, thereby effecting a saving in labor in applying the heel, the cost of the usual rands, which have to be separately cut into strips, beveled, curved, and placed in position, and forming a more substantial seat or hearing for the sole upon the heel.

\Vhat I claim as my invention is- 1. The combination of arm 1', constructed and arranged to be vertically adjusted and looked upon standard a, and to receive and support the blank-carrying plate Z, said plate being provided with blank-securing devices, lever m and link a, for reciprocating the plate, and rotary head 0, carrying cutters f, formed to concave blank t in both its longitudinal and transverse sections, substantially as specified.

2. The combination, with devices, substantially as described, for holding the heel-blank and moving the same in a iixed path in the IIO direction of its axis, of a rotary head whose f, for securing it to head 6, and with aconvex axis is parallel with the line of movement of line adapted to impart the desired longitudi- 10 the blank, and which is provided with knives nal concavity to the heel-blank, substantiall having a convex cutting-edge adapted and an as specified. ranged to form a seat in the plane of the blank WILLIAM Y. .OBER. and suitable driving mechanism, substantially I Witnesses: as specified. EUGENE HUMPHREY,

3. The cutter f, formed with a shank or-bar, I HENRY H. LETTENEY. 

